Current budget adaption

ABSTRACT

Methods, systems, and devices for current budget adaption are described. A controller may be coupled with a set of memory devices. The controller may receive current consumption information from the set of memory devices and update a current consumption budget for the set of memory devices based on the current consumption information.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The following relates generally to one or more systems for memory andmore specifically to current budget adaption.

BACKGROUND

Memory devices are widely used to store information in variouselectronic devices such as computers, user devices, wirelesscommunication devices, cameras, digital displays, and the like.Information is stored by programing memory cells within a memory deviceto various states. For example, binary memory cells may be programmed toone of two supported states, often corresponding to a logic 1 or a logic0. In some examples, a single memory cell may support more than twopossible states, any one of which may be stored by the memory cell. Toaccess information stored by a memory device, a component may read, orsense, the state of one or more memory cells within the memory device.To store information, a component may write, or program, one or morememory cells within the memory device to corresponding states.

Various types of memory devices exist, including magnetic hard disks,random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), dynamic RAM (DRAM),synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), ferroelectric RAM(FeRAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), flash memory, phasechange memory (PCM), 3-dimensional cross-point memory (3D cross point),not-or (NOR) and not-and (NAND) memory devices, and others. Memorydevices may be volatile or non-volatile. Volatile memory cells (e.g.,DRAM cells) may lose their programmed states over time unless they areperiodically refreshed by an external power source. Non-volatile memorycells (e.g., NAND memory cells) may maintain their programmed states forextended periods of time even in the absence of an external powersource.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a system that supports current budgetadaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a system that supports current budgetadaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a process flow that supports currentbudget adaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a process flow that supports currentbudget adaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein.

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a controller that supports currentbudget adaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein.

FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a memory device that supports currentbudget adaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein.

FIGS. 7 through 9 show flowcharts illustrating a method or methods thatsupport current budget adaption in accordance with examples as disclosedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In some systems, there may be an upper limit on the amount of currentthat a group of memory devices is permitted to consume at any giveninstant, which may be referred to as the current consumption budget orpeak current budget. However, the current consumption budget that is setfor the group of memory devices may be inappropriate for the system(e.g., due to manufacturing variability in systems and platforms). Ifthe current consumption budget is set too high, full use of the currentconsumption budget by the group of memory devices may negatively affectthe voltage of a power supply line that provides power to the group ofmemory devices. For example, full use of the current consumption budgetmay pull the voltage of the power supply line (referred to as the supplyvoltage) down to a level that is insufficient for various operations,which may impair system performance, among other disadvantages.According to the techniques described herein, a controller may improvesystem performance by adaptively updating the current consumption budgetfor a group of memory devices.

For cost and efficiency reasons, a controller may not have hardware tomeasure the current consumed by the memory controller and the memorydevices in the system. To keep peak current consumption under control,both the controller and the memory devices may forecast the expectedconsumption before allocating power to different circuitry andoperation. According to the techniques described here, a controller maycorrelate this current consumption information with the voltage level onthe power supply line, which may be monitored to protect the system fromconditions that are outside of the range supported by the system.

In a first example of the techniques described herein, the controllermay cause the group of memory devices to save (e.g., store) currentconsumption information upon detecting a threshold decrease in thesupply voltage. If the current consumption information indicates thatthe group of memory devices was using (or was close to using) the fullcurrent consumption budget around the time of the supply voltagedecrease, the controller may set a new (e.g., lower) current consumptionbudget for the group of memory devices.

In a second example of the techniques described herein, the controllermay be connected to the group of memory devices in a manner that allowsthe controller to receive the current consumption messages that areexchanged between the memory devices for power management. Based on thecurrent consumption information conveyed by the messages, the controllermay correlate current consumption by the group of memory devices withdecreases in the voltage supply and extrapolate the amount of currentconsumption that will cause an unacceptable decrease in the supplyvoltage. The controller may then set a new current consumption budgetfor the group of memory devices based on (e.g., according to) theextrapolation. Although described separately, aspects of the firstexample and the second example may be combined.

Features of the disclosure are initially described in the context ofsystems, devices, and circuits with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 .Features of the disclosure are described in the context of process flowswith reference to FIGS. 3-4 . These and other features of the disclosureare further illustrated by and described in the context of apparatusdiagrams and flowcharts that relate to current budget adaption withreference to FIGS. 5-9 .

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a system 100 that supports currentbudget adaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. Thesystem 100 includes a host system 105 coupled with a memory system 110.

A memory system 110 may be or include any device or collection ofdevices, where the device or collection of devices includes at least onememory array. For example, a memory system 110 may be or include aUniversal Flash Storage (UFS) device, an embedded Multi-Media Controller(eMMC) device, a flash device, a universal serial bus (USB) flashdevice, a secure digital (SD) card, a solid-state drive (SSD), a harddisk drive (HDD), a dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a small outlineDIMM (SO-DIMM), or a non-volatile DIMM (NVDIMM), among otherpossibilities.

The system 100 may be included in a computing device such as a desktopcomputer, a laptop computer, a network server, a mobile device, avehicle (e.g., airplane, drone, train, automobile, or other conveyance),an Internet of Things (IoT) enabled device, an embedded computer (e.g.,one included in a vehicle, industrial equipment, or a networkedcommercial device), or any other computing device that includes memoryand a processing device.

The system 100 may include a host system 105, which may be coupled withthe memory system 110. In some examples, this coupling may include aninterface with a host system controller 106, which may be an example ofa controller or control component configured to cause the host system105 to perform various operations in accordance with examples asdescribed herein. The host system 105 may include one or more devices,and in some cases may include a processor chipset and a software stackexecuted by the processor chipset. For example, the host system 105 mayinclude an application configured for communicating with the memorysystem 110 or a device therein. The processor chipset may include one ormore cores, one or more caches (e.g., memory local to or included in thehost system 105), a memory controller (e.g., NVDIMM controller), and astorage protocol controller (e.g., peripheral component interconnectexpress (PCIe) controller, serial advanced technology attachment (SATA)controller). The host system 105 may use the memory system 110, forexample, to write data to the memory system 110 and read data from thememory system 110. Although one memory system 110 is shown in FIG. 1 ,the host system 105 may be coupled with any quantity of memory systems110.

The host system 105 may be coupled with the memory system 110 via atleast one physical host interface. The host system 105 and the memorysystem 110 may in some cases be configured to communicate via a physicalhost interface using an associated protocol (e.g., to exchange orotherwise communicate control, address, data, and other signals betweenthe memory system 110 and the host system 105). Examples of a physicalhost interface may include, but are not limited to, a SATA interface, aUFS interface, an eMMC interface, a PCIe interface, a USB interface, aFiber Channel interface, a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), aSerial Attached SCSI (SAS), a Double Data Rate (DDR) interface, a DIMMinterface (e.g., DIMM socket interface that supports DDR), an Open NANDFlash Interface (ONFI), and a Low Power Double Data Rate (LPDDR)interface. In some examples, one or more such interfaces may be includedin or otherwise supported between a host system controller 106 of thehost system 105 and a memory system controller 115 of the memory system110. In some examples, the host system 105 may be coupled with thememory system 110 (e.g., the host system controller 106 may be coupledwith the memory system controller 115) via a respective physical hostinterface for each memory device 130 included in the memory system 110,or via a respective physical host interface for each type of memorydevice 130 included in the memory system 110.

The memory system 110 may include a memory system controller 115 and oneor more memory devices 130. A memory device 130 may include one or morememory arrays of any type of memory cells (e.g., non-volatile memorycells, volatile memory cells, or any combination thereof). Although twomemory devices 130-a and 130-b are shown in the example of FIG. 1 , thememory system 110 may include any quantity of memory devices 130.Further, if the memory system 110 includes more than one memory device130, different memory devices 130 within the memory system 110 mayinclude the same or different types of memory cells.

The memory system controller 115 may be coupled with and communicatewith the host system 105 (e.g., via the physical host interface) and maybe an example of a controller or control component configured to causethe memory system 110 to perform various operations in accordance withexamples as described herein. The memory system controller 115 may alsobe coupled with and communicate with memory devices 130 to performoperations such as reading data, writing data, erasing data, orrefreshing data at a memory device 130—among other such operations—whichmay generically be referred to as access operations. In some cases, thememory system controller 115 may receive commands from the host system105 and communicate with one or more memory devices 130 to execute suchcommands (e.g., at memory arrays within the one or more memory devices130). For example, the memory system controller 115 may receive commandsor operations from the host system 105 and may convert the commands oroperations into instructions or appropriate commands to achieve thedesired access of the memory devices 130. In some cases, the memorysystem controller 115 may exchange data with the host system 105 andwith one or more memory devices 130 (e.g., in response to or otherwisein association with commands from the host system 105). For example, thememory system controller 115 may convert responses (e.g., data packetsor other signals) associated with the memory devices 130 intocorresponding signals for the host system 105.

The memory system controller 115 may be configured for other operationsassociated with the memory devices 130. For example, the memory systemcontroller 115 may execute or manage operations such as wear-levelingoperations, garbage collection operations, error control operations suchas error-detecting operations or error-correcting operations, encryptionoperations, caching operations, media management operations, backgroundrefresh, health monitoring, and address translations between logicaladdresses (e.g., logical block addresses (LBAs)) associated withcommands from the host system 105 and physical addresses (e.g., physicalblock addresses) associated with memory cells within the memory devices130.

The memory system controller 115 may include hardware such as one ormore integrated circuits or discrete components, a buffer memory, or acombination thereof. The hardware may include circuitry with dedicated(e.g., hard-coded) logic to perform the operations ascribed herein tothe memory system controller 115. The memory system controller 115 maybe or include a microcontroller, special purpose logic circuitry (e.g.,a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP)), or anyother suitable processor or processing circuitry.

The memory system controller 115 may also include a local memory 120. Insome cases, the local memory 120 may include read-only memory (ROM) orother memory that may store operating code (e.g., executableinstructions) executable by the memory system controller 115 to performfunctions ascribed herein to the memory system controller 115. In somecases, the local memory 120 may additionally or alternatively includestatic random access memory (SRAM) or other memory that may be used bythe memory system controller 115 for internal storage or calculations,for example, related to the functions ascribed herein to the memorysystem controller 115.

Although the example of the memory system 110 in FIG. 1 has beenillustrated as including the memory system controller 115, in somecases, a memory system 110 may not include a memory system controller115. For example, the memory system 110 may additionally oralternatively rely upon an external controller (e.g., implemented by thehost system 105) or one or more local controllers 135, which may beinternal to memory devices 130, respectively, to perform the functionsascribed herein to the memory system controller 115. In general, one ormore functions ascribed herein to the memory system controller 115 mayin some cases instead be performed by the host system 105, a localcontroller 135, or any combination thereof. In some cases, a memorydevice 130 that is managed at least in part by a memory systemcontroller 115 may be referred to as a managed memory device. An exampleof a managed memory device is a managed NAND (MNAND) device.

A memory device 130 may include one or more arrays of non-volatilememory cells. For example, a memory device 130 may include NAND (e.g.,NAND flash) memory, ROM, phase change memory (PCM), self-selectingmemory, other chalcogenide-based memories, ferroelectric random accessmemory (RAM) (FeRAM), magneto RAM (MRAM), NOR (e.g., NOR flash) memory,Spin Transfer Torque (STT)-MRAM, conductive bridging RAM (CBRAM),resistive random access memory (RRAM), oxide based RRAM (OxRAM),electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), or any combinationthereof. Additionally or alternatively, a memory device 130 may includeone or more arrays of volatile memory cells. For example, a memorydevice 130 may include RAM memory cells, such as dynamic RAM (DRAM)memory cells and synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) memory cells.

In some examples, a memory device 130 may include (e.g., on a same dieor within a same package) a local controller 135, which may executeoperations on one or more memory cells of the respective memory device130. A local controller 135 may operate in conjunction with a memorysystem controller 115 or may perform one or more functions ascribedherein to the memory system controller 115. For example, as illustratedin FIG. 1 , a memory device 130-a may include a local controller 135-aand a memory device 130-b may include a local controller 135-b.

In some cases, a memory device 130 may be or include a NAND device(e.g., NAND flash device). A memory device 130 may be or include amemory die 160. For example, in some cases, a memory device 130 may be apackage that includes one or more dies 160. A die 160 may, in someexamples, be a piece of electronics-grade semiconductor cut from a wafer(e.g., a silicon die cut from a silicon wafer). Each die 160 may includeone or more planes 165, and each plane 165 may include a respective setof blocks 170, where each block 170 may include a respective set ofpages 175, and each page 175 may include a set of memory cells.

In some cases, a NAND memory device 130 may include memory cellsconfigured to each store one bit of information, which may be referredto as single level cells (SLCs). Additionally or alternatively, a NANDmemory device 130 may include memory cells configured to each storemultiple bits of information, which may be referred to as multi-levelcells (MLCs) if configured to each store two bits of information, astri-level cells (TLCs) if configured to each store three bits ofinformation, as quad-level cells (QLCs) if configured to each store fourbits of information, or more generically as multiple-level memory cells.Multiple-level memory cells may provide greater density of storagerelative to SLC memory cells but may, in some cases, involve narrowerread or write margins or greater complexities for supporting circuitry.

In some cases, planes 165 may refer to groups of blocks 170, and in somecases, concurrent operations may take place within different planes 165.For example, concurrent operations may be performed on memory cellswithin different blocks 170 so long as the different blocks 170 are indifferent planes 165. In some cases, an individual block 170 may bereferred to as a physical block, and a virtual block 180 may refer to agroup of blocks 170 within which concurrent operations may occur. Forexample, concurrent operations may be performed on blocks 170-a, 170-b,170-c, and 170-d that are within planes 165-a, 165-b, 165 c, and 165-d,respectively, and blocks 170-a, 170-b, 170-c, and 170-d may becollectively referred to as a virtual block 180. In some cases, avirtual block may include blocks 170 from different memory devices 130(e.g., including blocks in one or more planes of memory device 130-a andmemory device 130-b). In some cases, the blocks 170 within a virtualblock may have the same block address within their respective planes 165(e.g., block 170-a may be “block 0” of plane 165-a, block 170-b may be“block 0” of plane 165-b, and so on). In some cases, performingconcurrent operations in different planes 165 may be subject to one ormore restrictions, such as concurrent operations being performed onmemory cells within different pages 175 that have the same page addresswithin their respective planes 165 (e.g., related to command decoding,page address decoding circuitry, or other circuitry being shared acrossplanes 165).

In some cases, a block 170 may include memory cells organized into rows(pages 175) and columns (e.g., strings, not shown). For example, memorycells in a same page 175 may share (e.g., be coupled with) a common wordline, and memory cells in a same string may share (e.g., be coupledwith) a common digit line (which may alternatively be referred to as abit line).

For some NAND architectures, memory cells may be read and programmed(e.g., written) at a first level of granularity (e.g., at the page levelof granularity) but may be erased at a second level of granularity(e.g., at the block level of granularity). That is, a page 175 may bethe smallest unit of memory (e.g., set of memory cells) that may beindependently programmed or read (e.g., programed or read concurrentlyas part of a single program or read operation), and a block 170 may bethe smallest unit of memory (e.g., set of memory cells) that may beindependently erased (e.g., erased concurrently as part of a singleerase operation). Further, in some cases, NAND memory cells may beerased before they can be re-written with new data. Thus, for example, aused page 175 may in some cases not be updated until the entire block170 that includes the page 175 has been erased.

The system 100 may include any quantity of non-transitory computerreadable media that support current budget adaption. For example, thehost system 105, the memory system controller 115, or a memory device130 may include or otherwise may access one or more non-transitorycomputer readable media storing instructions (e.g., firmware) forperforming the functions ascribed herein to the host system 105, memorysystem controller 115, or memory device 130. For example, suchinstructions, if executed by the host system 105 (e.g., by the hostsystem controller 106), by the memory system controller 115, or by amemory device 130 (e.g., by a local controller 135), may cause the hostsystem 105, memory system controller 115, or memory device 130 toperform one or more associated functions as described herein.

In some examples, a controller (e.g., the host system controller 106 orthe memory system controller 115) may set a current consumption budgetfor the memory devices 130. Alternatively, the current consumptionbudget may be preconfigured at the memory devices 130. The currentconsumption budget may be the peak amount of current the memory devices130 are collectively permitted to consume at any given time. The currentconsumption budget may impact the performance of the system 100. Forexample, if the current consumption budget is set too low, the memorydevices 130 may perform operations serially rather than in parallel(e.g., to stay within the current consumption budget), which may reduceefficiency. If the current consumption budget is set too high, thecurrent consumption by the memory devices 130 may draw the voltagesupply down to an impermissible or inoperable level, which may impairoperations, result in operational interruptions, or both.

The memory devices 130 may comply with the current consumption budget byexchanging current consumption messages that convey information (whichmay be referred to as current consumption information) about the currentconsumption of the devices. For example, the current consumptionmessages may indicate the quantity of tokens a memory device 130 expectsto use for a given period of time. A token, which may also be referredto as a current token, may represent or be associated with an amount ofcurrent, such as x milliamps (mA), which may be predefined. So, a memorydevice 130 that expects to consume mA during a period of time mayindicate that expected consumption to other memory devices 130 bysending a current consumption message that indicates two tokens(assuming a token quantization of 20 mA). The current consumptionmessage may also indicate the period of time. By monitoring the currentconsumption of other memory devices 130, each memory device 130 maytailor its own individual current consumption to ensure that thecollective (e.g., total) current consumption by the memory devices 130stays within the current consumption budget. The phrase “currentconsumption” may refer to consumption of an electrical current, asopposed to referring to the relative timing of consumption.

In some cases, the current consumption budget for the memory devices 130may be inappropriate for the system 100. For example, the currentconsumption budget may not account for manufacturing variability betweenmemory devices 130 or systems 100, which may result in different powerprofiles between those memory devices 130 and systems 100. Additionallyor alternatively, the current consumption budget may not account forquantization errors that cause the actual current consumption of amemory device 130 to exceed the predicted current consumption (which inturn may cause the memory devices 130 to inadvertently exceed thecurrent consumption budget). As noted, if the current consumption budgetfor the memory device 130 is set too high, full use of the currentconsumption budget may draw the supply voltage below a threshold level(e.g., to an inadequate level for operation). But conservatively settingthe current consumption budget may reduce the performance of theoperations of the memory devices 130.

According to the techniques described herein, a controller mayadaptively update the current consumption budget for the memory devices130 to a level that is tailored to the system 100. For example, acontroller (e.g., the host system controller 106 or the memory systemcontroller 115) may receive current consumption information from thememory devices 130 and use that current consumption information as abasis for updating the current consumption budget. Thus, the initialcurrent consumption budget may be set aggressively, then adaptivelyscaled back based on the power profile of the system 100, which mayallow the memory devices 130 to operate at (or closer to) full capacitywithout disrupting the supply voltage.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a system 200 that supports currentbudget adaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. Thesystem 200 may be an example of a system 100 as described with referenceto FIG. 1 or aspects thereof. The system 200 may include a controller205, which may be an example of a host system controller 106 or a memorysystem controller 115 as described with reference to FIG. 1 . The system200 may also include memory devices 210, including memory device 210-a,which may be examples of the memory devices 130 described with referenceto FIG. 1 .

The controller 205 may include power control logic 245, which may beconfigured to use current consumption information from the memorydevices 210 as a basis for adaptively setting the current consumptionbudget for the memory devices 210. For example, the power control logic245 may be configured to use the current consumption information todetermine if the current consumption budget is inappropriate (e.g., toohigh), and if so, to update the current consumption budget to anappropriate (e.g., lower) level.

The memory devices 210 may each include respective power management (PM)logic 235, which may also be referred to as peak power management (PPM)logic, programmable peak power management (PPPM) logic, or othersuitable terminology. The power management logic 235 for a memory device210 may be configured to manage the power consumption of that memorydevice 210 based on various factors (e.g., based on operations of thememory device 210, based on current consumption information from othermemory devices 210, based on the current consumption budget). Forexample, the power management logic 235 may be configured to determinean amount of current consumption expectations of the memory device 210,process current consumption messages from other memory devices 210, andissue current consumption messages to the other memory devices 210.Current consumption messages may also be referred to as power managementmessages or other suitable terminology.

As noted, the current consumption messages issued by the powermanagement logic 235 may indicate the current consumption (e.g., inquantities of tokens) of a memory device 210 for a given period of timeso that the power consumption of other memory devices 210 can beadjusted (e.g., to ensure the memory devices 210 stay within the currentconsumption budget). Thus, the power management logic 235 for eachmemory device 210 may be coupled with the power management logic 235 ofother memory devices 210 via one or more pins or buses. In someexamples, the power management logic 235 may include or be coupled withone or more latch(es) 240 that are configured to store currentconsumption information. In such examples, the memory device 210 maytransfer the current consumption information from the latch(es) 240 toone or more registers (e.g., mode registers) that are indirectlyaccessible by the controller 205. The one or more latches 240 may alsobe referred to as latching components, latching circuitry, or othersuitable terminology.

The system 200 may include a power supply line 215, which may also bereferred to as a power supply rail or other suitable terminology. Thepower supply line 215 may be coupled with a power source and may providepower (e.g., voltage and current) to the controller 205 and the memorydevices 210.

Various conditions may cause the voltage of the power supply line 215(referred to as supply voltage V_(SUPP)) to fluctuate. For example, thesupply voltage V_(SUPP) may decrease if the power source (e.g., abattery) is drained, if an external (e.g., peripheral) device consumes(e.g., draws) current, or if the memory devices 210 consume current,among other possibilities. Decreases in the supply voltage V_(SUPP) maybe proportional to the amount of current consumed by the memory devices210 (e.g., higher current consumption may correspond to largerdecreases). If the supply voltage V_(SUPP) decreases below a thresholdlevel for reliable operations (referred to as the minimum voltage level(V_(MIN))), the controller 205, the memory device 210, or both maysuspend, halt, or abort some or all operations until the supply voltageV_(SUPP) rises above the minimum voltage level V_(MIN).

In some examples, the current consumption budget for the memory devices210 may be set aggressively (e.g., relatively high), to the extent thatfull (or nearly full) use of the current consumption budget causes thesupply voltage V_(SUPP) to be pulled below the minimum voltage levelV_(MIN). In such a scenario, the controller 205 may prevent the memorydevices 210 from pulling (or repeatedly pulling) the supply voltageV_(SUPP) below the minimum voltage level V_(MIN) (and consequentlyinterrupting or stalling system operation) by using current consumptioninformation from the memory devices 210 to dynamically update thecurrent consumption budget.

In a first example, the controller 205 may use the voltage detector 220to detect if the supply voltage V_(SUPP) decreases below the minimumvoltage level V_(MIN). For example, the voltage detector 220 may comparethe supply voltage V_(SUPP) to a reference voltage (denoted V_(REF))that may be equal to the minimum voltage level V_(MIN). Upon detectingthat the supply voltage V_(SUPP) has transitioned below the minimumvoltage level V_(MIN) (or is less than the minimum voltage levelV_(MIN)), the voltage detector 220 may issue a command, such asasserting the write protect (WP) signal (also referred to as a writeprotect command) that instructs the memory devices 210 to suspend one ormore operations. The write protect command may also instruct, or prompt,the memory device 210 to save (e.g., in the latch(es) 240) theindividual current consumption information for that memory device 210.The individual current consumption information for a memory device 210may indicate the actual or expected current consumption of that memorydevice 210 (e.g., the actual or expected current consumption around thetime the voltage supply V_(SUPP) transitioned below the minimum voltagelevel V_(MIN)). The write protect command may be communicated to thememory devices 210 using the dedicated write protect pin or over a bus,such as the bus 225.

After falling below the minimum threshold voltage V_(MIN), the voltagesupply V_(SUPP) may increase until the voltage supply V_(SUPP) is onceagain above the minimum threshold voltage V_(MIN). Upon detecting (e.g.,via the voltage detector 220) that the voltage supply V_(SUPP) hasincreased above the minimum voltage level V_(MIN) (or is greater thanthe minimum voltage level V_(MIN)), the controller 205 may instruct thememory devices 210 to 1) resume the one or more suspended operations,re-initiate one or more aborted operations, or both, and 2) send theindividual current consumption information that was saved in thelatch(es) 240. The individual current consumption information may becommunicated from the memory devices 210 to the controller 205 over abus, such as the bus 230. The controller 205 may then (e.g., via thepower control logic 245) use the individual current consumptioninformation from the memory devices to determine whether the collectivecurrent consumption of the memory devices 210 was responsible for thedecrease in the voltage supply V_(SUPP). For example, the power controllogic 245 may add or combine the individual current consumptionindicated for each memory device 210 and determine whether the sum(which represents the collective current consumption by the memorydevices 210) is equal to (or within a range) of the current consumptionbudget.

If the collective current consumption by the memory devices 210 is equalto (or within the range) of the current consumption budget, thecontroller 205 may determine (e.g., via the power control logic 245)that the current consumption budget is too high. That is, the controller205 may determine that the current consumption budget was insufficientto prevent the collective current consumption of the memory devices 210from pulling the supply voltage V_(SUPP) below the minimum thresholdvoltage V_(MIN) Put another way, the controller 205 may determine thatthe collective current consumption of the memory device 210, which islimited by the current consumption budget, was at least partially, ifnot primarily or wholly, responsible for the supply voltage V_(SUPP)decreasing below the minimum threshold voltage V_(MIN). Accordingly, thecontroller 205 may update (e.g., decrease) the current consumptionbudget and indicate the updated current consumption budget to the memorydevices 210.

The first example may allow the current consumption budget to be setaggressively, then subsequently tailored to the characteristics of thesystem 200, which may also include a host system (e.g., a host system105) and a memory system (e.g., a memory system 110). Tailoring thecurrent consumption budget to the characteristics of the system 200 mayallow components of the system 200, such as the memory devices 210,to 1) operate closer to full capacity (relative to other techniques thatstatically set the current consumption budget too conservatively), and2) reduce supply voltage interruptions (relative to techniques thatstatically set the current consumption budget too aggressively). Thefirst example may also prevent the controller 205 from inappropriatelyor indiscriminately lowering the current consumption budget if acondition (e.g., low battery) other than the current consumption of thememory devices 210 causes the voltage supply V_(SUPP) to drop below theminimum voltage V_(MIN).

In a second example, the controller 205 may include a voltmeter 250 thatis configured to sample (e.g., determine the level of) the supplyvoltage V_(SUPP). Additionally, the controller 205 may be coupled withthe memory devices via one or more conductive lines. For instance, thepower control logic 245 may be coupled with the power management logic235 of some or all of the memory devices 210. Thus, the power controllogic 245 may receive power management messages from the powermanagement logic 235. Based on (e.g., using) the power managementmessages, the power control logic 245 may determine the collectivecurrent consumption of the memory devices 210 at various points in time.For example, the power control logic 245 may determine the collectivecurrent consumption of the memory devices 210 by adding the respectiveindividual current consumption of each memory device 210. In someexamples, the voltmeter 250 may be an example of a voltage detector. Insome examples, the voltage detector 220 may include a voltmeter.

The power control logic 245 may use the collective current consumptionof the memory devices 210 to determine a correlation or relationshipbetween current consumption of the memory devices and decreases of thesupply voltage V_(SUPP). For example, the power control logic 245 may(e.g., via the voltmeter 250) sample (e.g., measure) the supply voltageV_(SUPP) to determine the level of the supply voltage V_(SUPP) atvarious points in time. The power control logic 245 may determine thedifference between consecutive measurements of the supply voltageV_(SUPP) and plot the differences against the collective currentconsumption of the memory devices 210 that is coincident with (or atleast partially overlaps in time with) the measurements.

Thus, the power control logic 245 may determine the correlation betweencollective current consumption and decreases in the supply voltageV_(SUPP). Based on the correlation, the power control logic 245 mayextrapolate a collective amount of current consumption that will resultin the voltage supply V_(SUPP) decreasing below the minimum thresholdlevel V_(MIN). If the collective amount of current consumption is equalto or within a threshold range (e.g., within 5%) of the currentconsumption budget, the controller 205 may update (e.g., decrease) thecurrent consumption budget and indicate the updated current consumptionbudget to the memory devices 210.

The second example may allow the controller 205 to adaptively update thecurrent consumption budget without waiting for the voltage V_(SUPP) todrop below the minimum voltage level V_(MIN). Like the first example,the second example may prevent the controller 205 from inappropriatelyor indiscriminately lowering the current consumption budget if acondition (e.g., low battery) other than the current consumption of thememory devices 210 causes the voltage supply V_(SUPP) to drop below theminimum voltage W_(MIN).

In some examples of the second example, the voltmeter 250 and thevoltage detector 220 may be combined into a single circuit that providesthe functionality of the voltmeter 250 and the voltage detector 220.Although described, separately, aspects of the first example and thesecond example may be combined. Additionally or alternatively, thesystem 200 may switch between the first example and the second example.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a process flow 300 that supportscurrent budget adaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein.The process flow 300 may be implemented by a system, such as the system200 as described with reference to FIG. 2 . For example, the system 200may implement aspects of the process flow 300 to perform the firstexample for adaptively updating the current consumption budget.Operations that may be performed by a controller, such as the controller205, are illustrated by white boxes and operations that may be performedby one or more memory devices, such as a memory device 210, areillustrated by shaded boxes. However, other distributions of theoperations between the devices are contemplated and within the scope ofthe present disclosure.

Aspects of the process flow 300 may be implemented by one or morecontrollers, among other components. Additionally or alternatively,aspects of the process flow 300 may be implemented as instructionsstored in memory (e.g., firmware stored in a memory coupled with thecontroller 205 or the memory device 210). For example, the instructions,if executed by a controller (e.g., the controller 205 or a controllercoupled with the memory device 210), may cause the controller to performthe operations of the process flow 300.

At 305, it may be determined that the supply voltage V_(SUPP) is (or hasdecreased) below a threshold level. For example, the controller 205 may(e.g., via the voltage detector 220) determine that the supply voltageV_(SUPP) is (or has decreased) below the threshold minimum voltageV_(MIN).

At 310, a request for the preservation of current consumptioninformation may be made. For example, the controller 205 may issue oneor more commands (e.g., write protect commands) that indicate arecipient memory device 210 is to preserve (e.g., save, store) recentcurrent consumption information for that individual memory device (whichmay be referred to as individual current consumption information). Forinstance, the command(s) may trigger, instruct, or otherwise prompt therecipient memory device 210 to store recent (e.g., the latest)individual current consumption information for that memory device 210.In some examples, the command(s) may also indicate that a recipientmemory device 210 is to suspend or abort one or more operations (whichmay otherwise be compromised by the low supply voltage).

At 315, individual current consumption information may be preserved. Forexample, some or all of the memory devices 210 may store respectiveindividual current consumption information. The individual currentconsumption information may indicate or represent an individual amountof current actually consumed, or expected to be consumed, by the memorydevice 210 within a threshold amount of time of the supply voltageV_(SUPP) decreasing below the minimum threshold voltage V_(MIN). In someexamples, the individual current consumption information may be storedin one or more latch(es) 240 before being transferred to one or moremode registers of the memory device(s) 210.

At 320, it may be determined that the voltage supply V_(SUPP) is abovethe threshold level. For example, the controller 205 may (e.g., via thevoltage detector 220) determine that the voltage supply V_(SUPP) isabove the minimum threshold voltage V_(MIN). At 325, a request forcurrent consumption information may be made. For example, the controller205 may, based on (e.g., in response to) the voltage supply V_(SUPP)increasing above the minimum threshold voltage V_(MIN), issue a commandthat indicates a recipient memory device 210 is to send the individualcurrent consumption information for that particular memory device 210.In some examples, the command may be a mode register read command. Insome examples, the controller 205 may also, based on (e.g., in responseto) the voltage supply V_(SUPP) increasing above the minimum thresholdvoltage V_(MIN), indicate that a recipient memory device 210 is toresume the one or more of the suspended operations.

At 330, current consumption information may be communicated. Forexample, each memory device 210 may send respective individual currentconsumption information to the controller 205 based on (e.g., inresponse to) the request made at 325. In some examples, the individualcurrent consumption information may be communicated from one or moremode registers.

At 335, the collective current consumption for the memory devices 210may be determined. For example, the controller 205 may (e.g., via thepower control logic 245) add (e.g., sum, combine) the individual currentconsumption of each memory device 210 to determine the collectivecurrent consumption for the memory devices 210.

At 340, it may be determined that the collective current consumption ofthe memory devices 210 satisfies a threshold. For example, thecontroller 205 may (e.g., via the power control logic 245) determinethat the collective current consumption is within a threshold range(e.g., is within 5%) of the current consumption budget. As anotherexample, the controller 205 may determine that the collective currentconsumption is above a threshold level (e.g., is 95% of the currentconsumption budget). As another example, the controller 205 maydetermine that the collective current consumption is equal to thecurrent consumption budget.

At 345, the current consumption budget may be updated based on (e.g., inresponse to) the determination at 340. For example, the controller 205may (e.g., via the power control logic 245) update the currentconsumption budget from a first value to a second value. The secondvalue may be lower than the first value so that the current consumptionbudget is effectively decreased.

As noted, the controller 205 may use the current consumption informationto determine whether the decrease in the voltage supply V_(SUPP) iscorrelated with the collective current consumption. In some examples,the controller may record the correlation result and update the budgetbased on historical data (e.g., recorded correlation results). Forexample, the controller may keep track of the percentage of times that adrop in the voltage supply V_(SUPP) below the minimum threshold voltageV_(MIN) corresponded with a collective current consumption at or nearthe current consumption budget. If the percentage is higher than athreshold, the controller 205 may update the current consumption budget(e.g., because it is likely that the current consumption budget was theprimary factor responsible for the decreases in the voltage supplyV_(SUPP)). If the percentage is lower than the threshold, the controller205 may refrain from updating the current consumption budget (e.g.,because it is likely that the decreases in the voltage supply V_(SUPP)were due to concomitant conditions and not the collective currentconsumption of the memory devices 210).

At 350, the updated current consumption budget may be indicated to thememory devices 210. For example, the controller 205 may communicate thesecond value for the current consumption budget to the memory devices210. At 355, the memory devices 210 may manage power consumption basedon (e.g., in accordance with) the updated current consumption budget.

Thus, the controller 205 may adaptively update the current consumptionbudget according to the first example. Alternative examples of theforegoing may be implemented, where some operations are performed in adifferent order than described, are performed in parallel, or are notperformed at all. In some cases, operations may include additionalfeatures not mentioned herein, or further operations may be added.Additionally, some operations may be performed multiple times or somecombinations of operations may repeat or cycle.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a process flow 400 that supportscurrent budget adaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein.The process flow 400 may be implemented by a system, such as the system200 as described with reference to FIG. 2 . For example, the system 200may implement aspects of the process flow 400 to perform the secondexample for adaptively updating the current consumption budget.Operations that may be performed by a controller, such as the controller205, are illustrated by white boxes and operations that may be performedby one or more memory devices, such as a memory device 210, areillustrated by shaded boxes. However, other distributions of theoperations between the devices are contemplated and within the scope ofthe present disclosure.

Aspects of the process flow 400 may be implemented by one or morecontrollers, among other components. Additionally or alternatively,aspects of the process flow 400 may be implemented as instructionsstored in memory (e.g., firmware stored in a memory coupled with thecontroller 205 or the memory device 210). For example, the instructions,if executed by a controller (e.g., the controller 205 or a controllercoupled with the memory device 210), may cause the controller to performthe operations of the process flow 400.

At 405, it may be determined that the collective current consumption ofthe memory device 210 satisfies a threshold. For example, the controller205 may determine that the collective current consumption of the memorydevices 210 satisfies a threshold that is a percentage (e.g., 70%) ofthe current consumption budget for the memory devices 210. In someexamples, the determination at 405 may be made based on (e.g., as afunction of) current consumption information conveyed by currentconsumption messages from one or more memory devices 210.

At 410, one or more power control operations may be initiated based on(e.g., in response to) the collective current consumption budgetsatisfying the threshold. For example, the controller 205 may initiatepower consumption operations (e.g., supply voltage V_(SUPP) sampling,correlation computing, extrapolation computing) based on the collectivecurrent consumption budget satisfying the threshold. Because meaningful(e.g., significant, detectable) decreases in the supply voltage V_(SUPP)may not occur until the collective current consumption reaches thethreshold, the controller 205 may conserve power by waiting to performpower control operations until after the collective current consumptionsatisfies the threshold.

At 415, current consumption messages may be communicated. For example,one or more of the memory devices 210 may communicate respective currentconsumption messages over a connection that is accessible by thecontroller 205. The current consumption messages may indicate individualcurrent consumption information for the memory device(s) 210. The memorydevice(s) 210 may communicate the current consumption messages as partof an on-going effort to manage power between the memory devices 210(e.g., to maintain a collective current consumption below the currentconsumption budget).

At 420, current consumption messages may be received. For example, thecontroller 205 may receive the current consumptions messagescommunicated by the memory device(s) 210. For instance, the controller205 may listen in on (e.g., receive and process) the current consumptionmessages that are exchanged between the memory devices 210.

At 425, the supply voltage may be sampled. For example, the controller205 may (e.g., via the voltmeter 250) sample the supply voltageV_(SUPP). Sampling the supply voltage V_(SUPP) may refer to measuringand determining the level (e.g., amplitude, magnitude) of the supplyvoltage V_(SUPP). At 430, one or more decreases in the supply voltagemay be determined (e.g., by sampling the supply voltage). For example,the controller 205 may (e.g., via the power control logic 245) determineone or more decreases in the supply voltage V_(SUPP). The decreases maybe decreases between pairs of measurements.

At 435, a correlation between collective current consumption anddecreases in the voltage supply may be determined. For example, thecontroller 205 may determine a correlation between collective currentconsumption and decreases in the voltage supply V_(SUPP). To do so, thecontroller 205 may evaluate the collective current consumptioncorresponding to (e.g., occurring within a threshold amount of time of)the decreases in the supply voltage V_(SUPP). The collective currentconsumption at various points in time may be determined from currentconsumption messages (such as those received at 415).

At 440, a collective current consumption associated with a thresholddecrease of the supply voltage V_(SUPP) may be extrapolated (e.g.,determined). For example, the controller 205 may extrapolate thecollective current consumption based on (e.g., according to) thecorrelation determined at 435. The threshold decrease may be a decreasethat is expected to pull the voltage supply V_(SUPP) below the minimumthreshold voltage V_(MIN).

At 445, the current consumption budget may be updated based on (e.g., asa function of) the extrapolation at 440. For example, the controller 205may (e.g., via the power control logic 245) update the currentconsumption budget from a first value to a second value. The secondvalue may be lower than the first value so that the current consumptionbudget is effectively decreased.

At 450, the updated current consumption budget may be indicated to thememory devices 210. For example, the controller 205 may communicate thesecond value for the current consumption budget to the memory devices210. At 455, the memory devices 210 may manage power consumption basedon (e.g., in accordance with) the updated current consumption budget.

Thus, the controller 205 may adaptively update the current consumptionbudget according to the second example. Alternative examples of theforegoing may be implemented, where some operations are performed in adifferent order than described, are performed in parallel, or are notperformed at all. In some cases, operations may include additionalfeatures not mentioned herein, or further operations may be added.Additionally, some operations may be performed multiple times or somecombinations of operations may repeat or cycle.

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram 500 of a controller 520 that supportscurrent budget adaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein.The controller 520 may be an example of aspects of a controller asdescribed with reference to FIGS. 1 through 4 . The controller 520, orvarious components thereof, may be an example of means for performingvarious aspects of current budget adaption as described herein. Forexample, the controller 520 may include a voltage detection circuitry525, a power control logic 530, a receive circuitry 535, a transmitcircuitry 540, or any combination thereof. Each of these components maycommunicate, directly or indirectly, with one another (e.g., via one ormore buses).

The voltage detection circuitry 525 may be configured as or otherwisesupport a means for determining, by a controller coupled with a powersupply line and a set of memory devices, whether a voltage of the powersupply line is below a threshold. The power control logic 530 may beconfigured as or otherwise support a means for determining, in responseto determining that the voltage is below the threshold, whether acollective amount of current consumed by the set of memory devices iswithin a range of an upper limit for current consumption by the set ofmemory devices. In some examples, the power control logic 530 may beconfigured as or otherwise support a means for updating the upper limitfor consumption of current by the set of memory devices based at leastin part on determining that the collective amount of current is withinthe range.

In some examples, the transmit circuitry 540 may be configured as orotherwise support a means for requesting information about a respectiveamount of current consumed by each memory device of the set of memorydevices. In some examples, the receive circuitry 535 may be configuredas or otherwise support a means for receiving the information about therespective amount of current consumed by each memory device based atleast in part on the request, where the collective amount of currentconsumed by the set of memory devices is determined based at least inpart on the respective amount of current consumed by each memory device.

In some examples, the voltage detection circuitry 525 may be configuredas or otherwise support a means for determining whether the voltage ofthe power supply line is above the threshold, where requesting theinformation is based at least in part on determining that the voltage ofthe power supply line is above the threshold.

In some examples, the transmit circuitry 540 may be configured as orotherwise support a means for requesting, based at least in part ondetermining that the voltage of the power supply line has decreasedbelow the threshold, each memory device of the set of memory devices tostore respective current consumption information and suspend one or moreoperations.

In some examples, to support updating the upper limit, the power controllogic 530 may be configured as or otherwise support a means fordecreasing the upper limit from a first value to a second value. In someexamples, to support updating the upper limit, the transmit circuitry540 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for indicating thesecond value to the set of memory devices.

In some examples, the voltage detection circuitry 525 may be configuredas or otherwise support a means for comparing the voltage of the powersupply line with the threshold, where the determination that the voltageof the power supply line is below the threshold is based at least inpart on the comparison.

The receive circuitry 535 may be configured as or otherwise support ameans for receiving, by a controller coupled with a power supply lineand a set of memory devices, a set of one or more messages eachindicating a respective amount of consumption of current for each memorydevice of the set of memory devices. In some examples, the power controllogic 530 may be configured as or otherwise support a means fordetermining, based at least in part on the set of one or more messages,a correlation between a collective amount of consumption of current bythe set of memory devices and a corresponding decrease in a voltage onthe power supply line. In some examples, the power control logic 530 maybe configured as or otherwise support a means for updating an upperlimit for consumption of current by the set of memory devices based atleast in part on the correlation.

In some examples, the power control logic 530 may be configured as orotherwise support a means for determining the collective amount ofconsumption of current based at least in part on the respective amountof consumption of current for each memory device.

In some examples, the power control logic 530 may be configured as orotherwise support a means for combining the respective amounts ofconsumption of current for the memory devices, where the collectiveamount of consumption of current is based at least in part on combiningthe respective amounts.

In some examples, the power control logic 530 may be configured as orotherwise support a means for determining a magnitude of thecorresponding decrease in the voltage on the power supply line, wherethe correlation is determined based at least in part on the magnitude ofthe corresponding decrease in the voltage.

In some examples, to support updating the upper limit, the power controllogic 530 may be configured as or otherwise support a means fordecreasing the upper limit from a first value to a second value. In someexamples, to support updating the upper limit, the transmit circuitry540 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for indicating thesecond value to the set of memory devices.

In some examples, the voltage detection circuitry 525 may be configuredas or otherwise support a means for sampling the voltage on the powersupply line, where the corresponding decrease in the voltage is based atleast in part on sampling the voltage.

In some examples, the power control logic 530 may be configured as orotherwise support a means for determining whether a second collectiveamount of consumption of current by the set of memory devices satisfiesa threshold, where the voltage on the power supply line is sampled basedat least in part on determining that the second collective amount ofconsumption of current satisfies the threshold.

In some examples, the threshold is below the upper limit for consumptionof current by the set of memory devices. In some examples, each of theset of one or more messages indicates a respective quantity of tokenseach associated with an amount of current. In some examples, each of theset of one or more messages is associated with a duration and thecollective amount of consumption of current is for the duration.

FIG. 6 shows a block diagram 600 of a memory device 620 that supportscurrent budget adaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein.The memory device 620 may be an example of aspects of a memory device asdescribed with reference to FIGS. 1 through 4 . The memory device 620,or various components thereof, may be an example of means for performingvarious aspects of current budget adaption as described herein. Forexample, the memory device 620 may include a power management logic 625,a transmit circuitry 630, a receive circuitry 635, a latch circuitry640, a local controller 645, or any combination thereof. Each of thesecomponents may communicate, directly or indirectly, with one another(e.g., via one or more buses).

The power management logic 625 may be configured as or otherwise supporta means for determining, by a memory device coupled with a power supplyline, a respective amount of current consumption associated with thememory device. The transmit circuitry 630 may be configured as orotherwise support a means for communicating an indication of therespective amount of current consumption to a controller coupled withthe memory device. The receive circuitry 635 may be configured as orotherwise support a means for receiving, based at least in part oncommunicating the indication, a control signal indicating an updatedupper limit for a consumption of current for the memory device.

In some examples, the receive circuitry 635 may be configured as orotherwise support a means for receiving a command that instructs thememory device to store the indication of the respective amount ofcurrent consumption. In some examples, the latch circuitry 640 may beconfigured as or otherwise support a means for storing the indication ofthe respective amount of current consumption based at least in part onthe command.

In some examples, the command instructs the memory device to suspend oneor more operations at the memory device, and the local controller 645may be configured as or otherwise support a means for suspending the oneor more operations based at least in part on the command.

In some examples, the receive circuitry 635 may be configured as orotherwise support a means for receiving, after storing the indication ofthe respective amount of current consumption, a request for currentconsumption information for the memory device, where the indication ofthe respective amount of current consumption is communicated based atleast in part on the request.

In some examples, to support communicating the indication of therespective amount of current consumption, the transmit circuitry 630 maybe configured as or otherwise support a means for communicating amessage indicating a quantity of tokens each associated with an amountof current.

In some examples, the transmit circuitry 630 may be configured as orotherwise support a means for communicating the message to a set of oneor more memory devices coupled with the memory device.

In some examples, the local controller 645 may be configured as orotherwise support a means for storing the updated upper limit at thememory device. In some examples, the power management logic 625 may beconfigured as or otherwise support a means for managing currentconsumption by the memory device based at least in part on the updatedupper limit.

FIG. 7 shows a flowchart illustrating a method 700 that supports currentbudget adaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. Theoperations of method 700 may be implemented by a controller or itscomponents as described herein. For example, the operations of method700 may be performed by a controller as described with reference toFIGS. 1 through 5 . In some examples, a controller may execute a set ofinstructions to control the functional elements of the device to performthe described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the controllermay perform aspects of the described functions using special-purposehardware.

At 705, the method may include determining, by a controller coupled witha power supply line and a set of memory devices, whether a voltage ofthe power supply line is below a threshold. The operations of 705 may beperformed in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In someexamples, aspects of the operations of 705 may be performed by a voltagedetection circuitry 525 as described with reference to FIG. 5 .

At 710, the method may include determining, in response to determiningthat the voltage is below the threshold, whether a collective amount ofcurrent consumed by the set of memory devices is within a range of anupper limit for current consumption by the set of memory devices. Theoperations of 710 may be performed in accordance with examples asdisclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 710 maybe performed by a power control logic 530 as described with reference toFIG. 5 .

At 715, the method may include updating the upper limit for consumptionof current by the set of memory devices based at least in part ondetermining that the collective amount of current is within the range.The operations of 715 may be performed in accordance with examples asdisclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 715 maybe performed by a power control logic 530 as described with reference toFIG. 5 .

In some examples, an apparatus as described herein may perform a methodor methods, such as the method 700. The apparatus may include, features,circuitry, logic, means, or instructions (e.g., a non-transitorycomputer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor)for determining, by a controller coupled with a power supply line and aset of memory devices, whether a voltage of the power supply line isbelow a threshold, determining, in response to determining that thevoltage is below the threshold, whether a collective amount of currentconsumed by the set of memory devices is within a range of an upperlimit for current consumption by the set of memory devices, and updatingthe upper limit for consumption of current by the set of memory devicesbased at least in part on determining that the collective amount ofcurrent is within the range. The upper limit may refer to a target upperlimit and thus may be inadvertently exceeded by the set of memorydevices. The upper limit for consumption of current may also be referredto as the power budget, the total current budget, the peak currentbudget, or other suitable terminology.

Some examples of the method 700 and the apparatus described herein mayfurther include operations, features, circuitry, logic, means, orinstructions for requesting information about a respective amount ofcurrent consumed by each memory device of the set of memory devices andreceiving the information about the respective amount of currentconsumed by each memory device based at least in part on the request,where the collective amount of current consumed by the set of memorydevices may be determined based at least in part on the respectiveamount of current consumed by each memory device.

Some examples of the method 700 and the apparatus described herein mayfurther include operations, features, circuitry, logic, means, orinstructions for determining whether the voltage of the power supplyline may be above the threshold, where requesting the information may bebased at least in part on determining that the voltage of the powersupply line may be above the threshold.

Some examples of the method 700 and the apparatus described herein mayfurther include operations, features, circuitry, logic, means, orinstructions for requesting, based at least in part on determining thatthe voltage of the power supply line may have decreased below thethreshold, each memory device of the set of memory devices to storerespective current consumption information and suspend one or moreoperations.

In some examples of the method 700 and the apparatus described herein,updating the upper limit may include operations, features, circuitry,logic, means, or instructions for decreasing the upper limit from afirst value to a second value and indicating the second value to the setof memory devices.

Some examples of the method 700 and the apparatus described herein mayfurther include operations, features, circuitry, logic, means, orinstructions for comparing the voltage of the power supply line with thethreshold, where the determination that the voltage of the power supplyline may be below the threshold may be based at least in part on thecomparison.

FIG. 8 shows a flowchart illustrating a method 800 that supports currentbudget adaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. Theoperations of method 800 may be implemented by a controller or itscomponents as described herein. For example, the operations of method800 may be performed by a controller as described with reference toFIGS. 1 through 5 . In some examples, a controller may execute a set ofinstructions to control the functional elements of the device to performthe described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the controllermay perform aspects of the described functions using special-purposehardware.

At 805, the method may include receiving, by a controller coupled with apower supply line and a set of memory devices, a set of one or moremessages each indicating a respective amount of consumption of currentfor each memory device of the set of memory devices. The operations of805 may be performed in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. Insome examples, aspects of the operations of 805 may be performed by areceive circuitry 535 as described with reference to FIG. 5 .

At 810, the method may include determining, based at least in part onthe set of one or more messages, a correlation between a collectiveamount of consumption of current by the set of memory devices and acorresponding decrease in a voltage on the power supply line. Theoperations of 810 may be performed in accordance with examples asdisclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 810 maybe performed by a power control logic 530 as described with reference toFIG. 5 .

At 815, the method may include updating an upper limit for consumptionof current by the set of memory devices based at least in part on thecorrelation. The operations of 815 may be performed in accordance withexamples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of theoperations of 815 may be performed by a power control logic 530 asdescribed with reference to FIG. 5 .

In some examples, an apparatus as described herein may perform a methodor methods, such as the method 800. The apparatus may include, features,circuitry, logic, means, or instructions (e.g., a non-transitorycomputer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor)for receiving, by a controller coupled with a power supply line and aset of memory devices, a set of one or more messages each indicating arespective amount of consumption of current for each memory device ofthe set of memory devices, determining, based at least in part on theset of one or more messages, a correlation between a collective amountof consumption of current by the set of memory devices and acorresponding decrease in a voltage on the power supply line, andupdating an upper limit for consumption of current by the set of memorydevices based at least in part on the correlation.

Some examples of the method 800 and the apparatus described herein mayfurther include operations, features, circuitry, logic, means, orinstructions for determining the collective amount of consumption ofcurrent based at least in part on the respective amount of consumptionof current for each memory device.

Some examples of the method 800 and the apparatus described herein mayfurther include operations, features, circuitry, logic, means, orinstructions for combining the respective amounts of consumption ofcurrent for the memory devices, where the collective amount ofconsumption of current may be based at least in part on combining therespective amounts.

Some examples of the method 800 and the apparatus described herein mayfurther include operations, features, circuitry, logic, means, orinstructions for determining a magnitude of the corresponding decreasein the voltage on the power supply line, where the correlation may bedetermined based at least in part on the magnitude of the correspondingdecrease in the voltage.

In some examples of the method 800 and the apparatus described herein,updating the upper limit may include operations, features, circuitry,logic, means, or instructions for decreasing the upper limit from afirst value to a second value and indicating the second value to the setof memory devices.

Some examples of the method 800 and the apparatus described herein mayfurther include operations, features, circuitry, logic, means, orinstructions for sampling the voltage on the power supply line, wherethe corresponding decrease in the voltage may be based at least in parton sampling the voltage.

Some examples of the method 800 and the apparatus described herein mayfurther include operations, features, circuitry, logic, means, orinstructions for determining whether a second collective amount ofconsumption of current by the set of memory devices satisfies athreshold, where the voltage on the power supply line may be sampledbased at least in part on determining that the second collective amountof consumption of current satisfies the threshold.

In some examples of the method 800 and the apparatus described herein,the threshold may be below the upper limit for consumption of current bythe set of memory devices. In some examples of the method 800 and theapparatus described herein, each of the set of one or more messagesindicates a respective quantity of tokens each associated with an amountof current. In some examples of the method 800 and the apparatusdescribed herein, each of the set of one or more messages may beassociated with a duration and the collective amount of consumption ofcurrent may be for the duration.

FIG. 9 shows a flowchart illustrating a method 900 that supports currentbudget adaption in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. Theoperations of method 900 may be implemented by a memory device or itscomponents as described herein. For example, the operations of method900 may be performed by a memory device as described with reference toFIGS. 1 through 4 and 6 . In some examples, a memory device may executea set of instructions to control the functional elements of the deviceto perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, thememory device may perform aspects of the described functions usingspecial-purpose hardware.

At 905, the method may include determining, by a memory device coupledwith a power supply line, a respective amount of current consumptionassociated with the memory device. The operations of 905 may beperformed in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In someexamples, aspects of the operations of 905 may be performed by a powermanagement logic 625 as described with reference to FIG. 6 .

At 910, the method may include communicating an indication of therespective amount of current consumption to a controller coupled withthe memory device. The operations of 910 may be performed in accordancewith examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of theoperations of 910 may be performed by a transmit circuitry 630 asdescribed with reference to FIG. 6 .

At 915, the method may include receiving, based at least in part oncommunicating the indication, a control signal indicating an updatedupper limit for a consumption of current for the memory device. Theoperations of 915 may be performed in accordance with examples asdisclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 915 maybe performed by a receive circuitry 635 as described with reference toFIG. 6 .

In some examples, an apparatus as described herein may perform a methodor methods, such as the method 900. The apparatus may include, features,circuitry, logic, means, or instructions (e.g., a non-transitorycomputer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor)for determining, by a memory device coupled with a power supply line, arespective amount of current consumption associated with the memorydevice, communicating an indication of the respective amount of currentconsumption to a controller coupled with the memory device, andreceiving, based at least in part on communicating the indication, acontrol signal indicating an updated upper limit for a consumption ofcurrent for the memory device.

Some examples of the method 900 and the apparatus described herein mayfurther include operations, features, circuitry, logic, means, orinstructions for receiving a command that instructs the memory device tostore the indication of the respective amount of current consumption andstoring the indication of the respective amount of current consumptionbased at least in part on the command.

In some examples of the method 900 and the apparatus described herein,the command instructs the memory device to suspend one or moreoperations at the memory device and the method, apparatuses, andnon-transitory computer-readable medium may include further operations,features, circuitry, logic, means, or instructions for suspending theone or more operations based at least in part on the command.

Some examples of the method 900 and the apparatus described herein mayfurther include operations, features, circuitry, logic, means, orinstructions for receiving, after storing the indication of therespective amount of current consumption, a request for currentconsumption information for the memory device, where the indication ofthe respective amount of current consumption may be communicated basedat least in part on the request.

In some examples of the method 900 and the apparatus described herein,communicating the indication of the respective amount of currentconsumption may include operations, features, circuitry, logic, means,or instructions for communicating a message indicating a quantity oftokens each associated with an amount of current.

Some examples of the method 900 and the apparatus described herein mayfurther include operations, features, circuitry, logic, means, orinstructions for communicating the message to a set of one or morememory devices coupled with the memory device.

Some examples of the method 900 and the apparatus described herein mayfurther include operations, features, circuitry, logic, means, orinstructions for storing the updated upper limit at the memory deviceand managing current consumption by the memory device based at least inpart on the updated upper limit.

It should be noted that the methods described above describe possibleimplementations, and that the operations and the steps may be rearrangedor otherwise modified and that other implementations are possible.Further, portions from two or more of the methods may be combined.

Information and signals described herein may be represented using any ofa variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data,instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chipsthat may be referenced throughout the above description may berepresented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magneticfields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combinationthereof. Some drawings may illustrate signals as a single signal;however, the signal may represent a bus of signals, where the bus mayhave a variety of bit widths.

The terms “electronic communication,” “conductive contact,” “connected,”and “coupled” may refer to a relationship between components thatsupports the flow of signals between the components. Components areconsidered in electronic communication with (or in conductive contactwith or connected with or coupled with) one another if there is anyconductive path between the components that can, at any time, supportthe flow of signals between the components. At any given time, theconductive path between components that are in electronic communicationwith each other (or in conductive contact with or connected with orcoupled with) may be an open circuit or a closed circuit based on theoperation of the device that includes the connected components. Theconductive path between connected components may be a direct conductivepath between the components or the conductive path between connectedcomponents may be an indirect conductive path that may includeintermediate components, such as switches, transistors, or othercomponents. In some examples, the flow of signals between the connectedcomponents may be interrupted for a time, for example, using one or moreintermediate components such as switches or transistors.

The term “coupling” refers to a condition of moving from an open-circuitrelationship between components in which signals are not presentlycapable of being communicated between the components over a conductivepath to a closed-circuit relationship between components in whichsignals are capable of being communicated between components over theconductive path. If a component, such as a controller, couples othercomponents together, the component initiates a change that allowssignals to flow between the other components over a conductive path thatpreviously did not permit signals to flow.

The term “isolated” refers to a relationship between components in whichsignals are not presently capable of flowing between the components.Components are isolated from each other if there is an open circuitbetween them. For example, two components separated by a switch that ispositioned between the components are isolated from each other if theswitch is open. If a controller isolates two components, the controlleraffects a change that prevents signals from flowing between thecomponents using a conductive path that previously permitted signals toflow.

The terms “if,” “when,” “based on,” or “based at least in part on” maybe used interchangeably. In some examples, if the terms “if,” “when,”“based on,” or “based at least in part on” are used to describe aconditional action, a conditional process, or connection betweenportions of a process, the terms may be interchangeable.

The term “in response to” may refer to one condition or action occurringat least partially, if not fully, as a result of a previous condition oraction. For example, a first condition or action may be performed andsecond condition or action may at least partially occur as a result ofthe previous condition or action occurring (whether directly after orafter one or more other intermediate conditions or actions occurringafter the first condition or action).

Additionally, the terms “directly in response to” or “in direct responseto” may refer to one condition or action occurring as a direct result ofa previous condition or action. In some examples, a first condition oraction may be performed and second condition or action may occurdirectly as a result of the previous condition or action occurringindependent of whether other conditions or actions occur. In someexamples, a first condition or action may be performed and secondcondition or action may occur directly as a result of the previouscondition or action occurring, such that no other intermediateconditions or actions occur between the earlier condition or action andthe second condition or action or a limited quantity of one or moreintermediate steps or actions occur between the earlier condition oraction and the second condition or action. Any condition or actiondescribed herein as being performed “based on,” “based at least in parton,” or “in response to” some other step, action, event, or conditionmay additionally or alternatively (e.g., in an alternative example) beperformed “in direct response to” or “directly in response to” suchother condition or action unless otherwise specified.

The devices discussed herein, including a memory array, may be formed ona semiconductor substrate, such as silicon, germanium, silicon-germaniumalloy, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, etc. In some examples, thesubstrate is a semiconductor wafer. In some other examples, thesubstrate may be a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, such assilicon-on-glass (SOG) or silicon-on-sapphire (SOP), or epitaxial layersof semiconductor materials on another substrate. The conductivity of thesubstrate, or sub-regions of the substrate, may be controlled throughdoping using various chemical species including, but not limited to,phosphorous, boron, or arsenic. Doping may be performed during theinitial formation or growth of the substrate, by ion-implantation, or byany other doping means.

A switching component or a transistor discussed herein may represent afield-effect transistor (FET) and comprise a three terminal deviceincluding a source, drain, and gate. The terminals may be connected toother electronic elements through conductive materials, e.g., metals.The source and drain may be conductive and may comprise a heavily-doped,e.g., degenerate, semiconductor region. The source and drain may beseparated by a lightly-doped semiconductor region or channel. If thechannel is n-type (i.e., majority carriers are electrons), then the FETmay be referred to as an n-type FET. If the channel is p-type (i.e.,majority carriers are holes), then the FET may be referred to as ap-type FET. The channel may be capped by an insulating gate oxide. Thechannel conductivity may be controlled by applying a voltage to thegate. For example, applying a positive voltage or negative voltage to ann-type FET or a p-type FET, respectively, may result in the channelbecoming conductive. A transistor may be “on” or “activated” if avoltage greater than or equal to the transistor's threshold voltage isapplied to the transistor gate. The transistor may be “off” or“deactivated” if a voltage less than the transistor's threshold voltageis applied to the transistor gate.

The description set forth herein, in connection with the appendeddrawings, describes example configurations and does not represent allthe examples that may be implemented or that are within the scope of theclaims. The term “exemplary” used herein means “serving as an example,instance, or illustration” and not “preferred” or “advantageous overother examples.” The detailed description includes specific details toproviding an understanding of the described techniques. Thesetechniques, however, may be practiced without these specific details. Insome instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in blockdiagram form to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.

In the appended figures, similar components or features may have thesame reference label. Further, various components of the same type maybe distinguished by following the reference label by a hyphen and asecond label that distinguishes among the similar components. If justthe first reference label is used in the specification, the descriptionis applicable to any one of the similar components having the same firstreference label irrespective of the second reference label.

The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, softwareexecuted by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. Ifimplemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may bestored on or transmitted over, as one or more instructions or code, acomputer-readable medium. Other examples and implementations are withinthe scope of the disclosure and appended claims. For example, due to thenature of software, functions described above can be implemented usingsoftware executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, orcombinations of any of these. Features implementing functions may alsobe physically located at various positions, including being distributedsuch that portions of functions are implemented at different physicallocations.

For example, the various illustrative blocks and components described inconnection with the disclosure herein may be implemented or performedwith a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA or otherprogrammable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discretehardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform thefunctions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be amicroprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be anyprocessor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processormay be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., acombination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, oneor more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any othersuch configuration).

As used herein, including in the claims, “or” as used in a list of items(for example, a list of items prefaced by a phrase such as “at least oneof” or “one or more of”) indicates an inclusive list such that, forexample, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB orAC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Also, as used herein, the phrase“based on” shall not be construed as a reference to a closed set ofconditions. For example, an exemplary step that is described as “basedon condition A” may be based on both a condition A and a condition Bwithout departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In otherwords, as used herein, the phrase “based on” shall be construed in thesame manner as the phrase “based at least in part on.”

Computer-readable media includes both non-transitory computer storagemedia and communication media including any medium that facilitatestransfer of a computer program from one place to another. Anon-transitory storage medium may be any available medium that can beaccessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way ofexample, and not limitation, non-transitory computer-readable media cancomprise RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory(EEPROM), compact disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magneticdisk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any othernon-transitory medium that can be used to carry or store desired programcode means in the form of instructions or data structures and that canbe accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or ageneral-purpose or special-purpose processor. Also, any connection isproperly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the softwareis transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using acoaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line(DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave,then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, orwireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave areincluded in the definition of medium. Disk and disc, as used herein,include CD, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD),floppy disk, and Blu-ray disc, where disks usually reproduce datamagnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers.Combinations of the above are also included within the scope ofcomputer-readable media.

The description herein is provided to enable a person skilled in the artto make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosurewill be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principlesdefined herein may be applied to other variations without departing fromthe scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not limited to theexamples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the broadestscope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosedherein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: a power supply linecoupled with a set of memory devices; and a controller coupled with theset of memory devices and the power supply line, the controllerconfigured to cause the apparatus to: determine whether a voltage of thepower supply line is below a threshold; determine, in response todetermining that the voltage is below the threshold, whether acollective amount of current consumed by the set of memory devices iswithin a range of an upper limit for current consumption by the set ofmemory devices; and update the upper limit for consumption of current bythe set of memory devices based at least in part on determining that thecollective amount of current is within the range.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause theapparatus to: request information about a respective amount of currentconsumed by each memory device of the set of memory devices; and receivethe information about the respective amount of current consumed by eachmemory device based at least in part on the requesting, wherein thecollective amount of current consumed by the set of memory devices isdetermined based at least in part on the respective amount of currentconsumed by each memory device.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein thecontroller is further configured to cause the apparatus to: determinewhether the voltage of the power supply line is above the threshold,wherein requesting the information is based at least in part ondetermining that the voltage of the power supply line is above thethreshold.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller isfurther configured to cause the apparatus to: request, based at least inpart on determining that the voltage of the power supply line hasdecreased below the threshold, each memory device of the set of memorydevices to store respective current consumption information and suspendone or more operations.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein updatingthe upper limit further comprises the controller configured to cause theapparatus to: decrease the upper limit from a first value to a secondvalue; and indicate the second value to the set of memory devices. 6.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configuredto cause the apparatus to: compare the voltage of the power supply linewith the threshold, wherein the determination that the voltage of thepower supply line is below the threshold is based at least in part onthe comparison.
 7. An apparatus, comprising: a power supply line coupledwith a set of memory devices; and a controller coupled with the set ofmemory devices and the power supply line, the controller configured tocause the apparatus to: receive a set of one or more messages eachindicating a respective amount of consumption of current for each memorydevice of the set of memory devices; determine, based at least in parton the set of one or more messages, a correlation between a collectiveamount of consumption of current by the set of memory devices and acorresponding decrease in a voltage on the power supply line; and updatean upper limit for consumption of current by the set of memory devicesbased at least in part on the correlation.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7,wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to:determine the collective amount of consumption of current based at leastin part on the respective amount of consumption of current for eachmemory device.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller isfurther configured to cause the apparatus to: combine the respectiveamounts of consumption of current for the memory devices, wherein thecollective amount of consumption of current is based at least in part oncombining the respective amounts.
 10. The apparatus of claim 7, whereinthe controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to:determine a magnitude of the corresponding decrease in the voltage onthe power supply line, wherein the correlation is determined based atleast in part on the magnitude of the corresponding decrease in thevoltage.
 11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein updating the upper limitfurther comprises the controller configured to cause the apparatus to:decrease the upper limit from a first value to a second value; andindicate the second value to the set of memory devices.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured tocause the apparatus to: sample the voltage on the power supply line,wherein the corresponding decrease in the voltage is based at least inpart on sampling the voltage.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein thecontroller is further configured to cause the apparatus to: determinewhether a second collective amount of consumption of current by the setof memory devices satisfies a threshold, wherein the voltage on thepower supply line is sampled based at least in part on determining thatthe second collective amount of consumption of current satisfies thethreshold.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the threshold is belowthe upper limit for consumption of current by the set of memory devices.15. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the set of one or moremessages indicates a respective quantity of tokens each associated withan amount of current.
 16. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of theset of one or more messages is associated with a duration and thecollective amount of consumption of current is for the duration.
 17. Anapparatus, comprising: a memory device; a power supply line coupled withthe memory device; and a local controller coupled with the memory deviceand configured to cause the apparatus to: determine a respective amountof current consumption associated with the memory device; communicate anindication of the respective amount of current consumption to acontroller coupled with the memory device; and receive, based at leastin part on communicating the indication, a control signal indicating anupdated upper limit for a consumption of current for the memory device.18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the local controller is furtherconfigured to cause the apparatus to: receive a command that instructsthe memory device to store the indication of the respective amount ofcurrent consumption; and store the indication of the respective amountof current consumption based at least in part on the command.
 19. Theapparatus of claim 18, wherein the command instructs the memory deviceto suspend one or more operations at the memory device, and wherein thelocal controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to:suspend the one or more operations based at least in part on thecommand.
 20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the local controller isfurther configured to cause the apparatus to: receive, after storing theindication of the respective amount of current consumption, a requestfor current consumption information for the memory device, wherein theindication of the respective amount of current consumption iscommunicated based at least in part on the request.
 21. The apparatus ofclaim 17, wherein communicating the indication of the respective amountof current consumption further comprises the local controller configuredto cause the apparatus to: communicate a message indicating a quantityof tokens each associated with an amount of current.
 22. The apparatusof claim 21, wherein the local controller is further configured to causethe apparatus to: communicate the message to a set of one or more memorydevices coupled with the memory device.
 23. The apparatus of claim 17,wherein the local controller is further configured to cause theapparatus to: store the updated upper limit at the memory device; andmanage current consumption by the memory device based at least in parton the updated upper limit.